Fire hydrant



'. Feb. 14, 1928.

K. A. READ FIRE HYDRANT Filed Oct. 14. 1926 ;1\ #7 2/ l L U D W /a 1 29 M Knu/ Eeao/ H TTbE/VEY wide open position and tallic material that has some inherentresiliency.

In order that the drain valve will seat as soon as the water supply valve P starts to open, and will be forced tightly against its seat by positive pressure exerted on same justbeiore the supply valve Breaches its in order that the drain valve will remain seated when raid supply valve B starts to close, and wiil he unseated by positive pressure exerted on same at substantially the completion of the closing n'iovenient of said supply valve, I provide the valve element 3 oi the drain valve with a stem 6 that projects upwardly through a valve actuator T to which a vertical reciprocating movement is imparted by the rod D whens-aid rod is rotated to open and close the water supply valve 13, said valve actuator 7 being so arranged that it will evert a downward thrust on the valve element 3, thus forcing it tightly against its seat 4, during the last few turns of the rod D in the operation of opening the supply valve and will exert an upward thrust on a head piece (5 at the upper end of the valve stem (5; thus positively moving the I *alve element 3 away from its seat during the last few turns of the rod D in the operation of closing the supply valve B. The valve actuator 7 is of considerably less length than the valvestem 6 and is provided with a center hole through which said stem passes said stem and center hole being preferably of cir-' cular shape in cross section, so as to pern'ii't the valve element 3 to rotate relatively to its seat 4t.

In order that vertical reciprocating move ment: will be imparted to the valve actuator 7 by the rotary movement of the rod D, the lower end of said rod is rigidly connected to a sleeve 8 that virtually forms part of the rod D, and which is equipped with internal screw threads that mesh with external threads on a portion 9 at the upper end of the actuator 7, means being provided for preventing said actuator :from turning with the sleeve 8 when said sleeve is rotated by the rod D. Various means can be used for this purpose, but I prefer to arrange a bearing member 10 in the upper end portion oi? the *alve casing 1 that is equipped with a non-circular-shaped opening through which a non-circularshaped portion T of the valve actuator 7 passes and provided with laterally-projecting wings 11, one of which is adapted to bear against the inside of the stand pipe A, as shown in Figure 3, and thus prevent the bearing member 10 from turning relatively to the valve casing 1 during the operation of rotating the rod D to open and close the water supply valve B. The internally-screwthreaded sleeve 8, attached to the lower end oi therod D of the valve operating mechan sm s provided at its lower end with a taennon:-

pered portion that rotates on a taperecl su1 r face on the hearing 10 when the rod D is turned and some suitable means is provided for preventing the sleeve 8 from moving vertically relatively to said hearing member 10, such tor example, as screws 12 arranged horizontally in lup's 123 on said bearing menibcr and adapted to lap over a flange or annular rib Ll: on the lower end of the sleeve 8, as shown cl arly in Figure 2. It is immaterial how the valve casingl is mounted in the par tition or end wall 2 ot' the stand pipe but one convenient way of mounting said valve casing is to provide it with an externallyscrew-threadcd portion if), as shown in Figure 2, that screwed into a hole in the hori- Zontal partition or end wall 2 ol the stand pipe.

When the water supply valve B is open the valve actuator-T is in engagement with the valve element 3 and holds said valve ele ment tightly against its seat l. To close the supply valve B the rod D is rotated in one direction. which operation causes the valve actuator T to move upwardly away from the valve element 3, but without causing said valve element 3 to become unseated. During the last. turn or two of the rod D in the operation of closinp', the supply valve P, the valve actuator t engages the head piece (5 on the valve stem 6 and exerts a positive upward thrust on said stein, thereby causing the valve element 3 to be moved upwardly away tron'i its seat and held in a raised posi tion out of contact with said'seat or with any portion of the valve casing to which itmight adhere during a long period of non-use. The next time the hydrant is used the rod D is rotated in the opposite direction, so as to open the water supply valve 13, and during the first turn or two of the rod D the actuator 7 will be moved downwardly slightly, whereupon gravity causes the valve element 3 to drop into engagement with its seat -l and close the drain opening 5. Said valve element remains in this condition during the operation of openingthe supply valve B, and at approximately the time said supply valve reaches its wide open positiom the valve actuator 7 engages the valve element 3 and forces it tightly against its seat.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in a fire hydrant of the construction above described there is little liability of the drain valve getting into such a condition that it will not effectively close the drain opening of the stand pipe when the water supply valve B of the hydrant is opened, due, of course, to the fact that the valve element 3 of the drain valve is normally spaced away from any portion of the valve casing to which it can stick or adhere during a long period of non-use.- Moreover, the drain valve will seatby gravity as soon as the water supply valve starts to open, and as it is forced tightly against its seat by positive pressure exerted on same at substantially the completion of the opening movement of the water supply valve by a screw-threaded connection between the valve actuator vand a threaded member on the rod D, there is no liability of water escaping from the stand pipe through the drain opening when the water supply valve is in its open position. These desirable features, coupled with the fact that the drain valve is of exceptionally rugged construction, makes my hydrant an improvement upon the fire hydrants now in general use.

In fire hydrants of the type to whichmy invention relatesitis the usual commercial custom to mount a rotatable actuating device 16 in the cap 17 at the upper end of the stand pipe A and provide said actuatingdcvice with a non-circular-shaped socket that receives a non-circular-shaped portion on the upper end of the valve operating rod-D, said socket being made deep enough to provide sufficient end play or lost motion between the end of the valve operating rod and the end wall of the socket in the actuating device 16 to compensate for variations in the castings from whichtlie stand pipe is constructed. In my improved hydrant it is necessarv that the valve operating rod D be.

of such construction that it cannot move upwardly when the valve actuator 7 is pressing the movable element 3 of the drain valve downwardly against its seat 4. Accordingly, I mount a solid or one piece actuating device 1G in the cap 17 ofthe stand pipe and provide said actuating device with an adjustable bearing 18, accessible from the upper end of the device 16 when said device is arranged in operative position in the cap 17, that is adapted to be moved downwardly into engagement with the valve operating rod D, so as to take up any end play or lost-motion between the rod D and the actuating device 16 and thus eliminate the possibility of the valv e actuator 7 moving upwardly when the drain valve is seated. As shown in Figure 4, the adjustablebearing 18-just referred to is formed by a screw mounted in the actuating device 16 in such a manner that the end of said screw "an be moved downwardly into e11gagement wilh t .e upper end of the, rod D that projects intothe socket 19 in the actuatiug device 16. Said device 16'is provided with a bore 20 terminating in the upper end of said device through which a screw driver can be passed and inserted in a screw driver slot in the upper end of the bearing 18 to adjust said screw upwardly or downwardly, the upper end of said here being normally closed by a plug 21 that is removably mounted in the upper end of the device 16.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 'A fire hydrant provided with a water that seats automatically as soon as said supply valve starts to open, a seat for said drain valve and a meansjoihed to said operating rod by a screw-threaded connection for forcing said drain valve tightly against its seat at substantially the completion of the open ing movement of said supply valve.

2. A fire hydrant provided with a water supply valve, a rotatable operating rodfor actuatingsaid supply valve, a gravity operated drain valve that seats automatically at substantially the beginning of-the opening movement of said supply valve, and a reciprocating means joined to said operating rod by a screw-threaded connection for positively moving said drain valve away fromits seat during the operation'of closing said supply valve and for positively moving said drain valve into engagement with its seat during the operation of opening said supply valve.

3. A fire hydrant provided with a water supply valve. a rotatable operating rod for actuating said valve, a drain valve, and a reciprocating actuator for said drain valve joined to said operating rod by a screwthreaded connection and arranged so as to permit said drain valve to seat automatically as soon as the supply valve starts to open. to be forced tightly against its seat at approximately the completion of the opening movement of the supply valve, to. remain seated during themajor portion of theclos ing movement of the supply valve and to be moved positively away from its seat at approximately the completion of the closing movement of the supply valve.

41. A fire hydrant provided with a water supply valve, an operating mechanism for same comprising a rotatable rod, a drain valve comprising a valve element and a cooperating valve seat arranged horizontally underneath the same, a stem on said valve element, an actuator surrounding said valve stem and arranged so that it is capable of moving longitudinally relatively to said stem, and a means operated by said rotatable rod for reciprocating said valve actuator and causing the same to force said valve element tightly-against its seat at a certain period with a horizontally-disposed valve seat, a

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valve element in said casing arranged above said seat, a stem projecting upwardly from said valve element and provided at its upper end with a head piece or projection, a reciprocatingly mounted actuator about said stem, an operating rod provided with an internally screw-threaded portion that engages external screw threads on said actuator, and means for preventing said actuator from rotating with said rod.

6. A. fire hydrant, comprising a stand pipe provided adjacent its lower end with a horizontally-disposed partition, a tubular valve casing carried by said partition and provided with a horiZontally-disposed, tapered valve seat, a tapered valve element in said casing valve casing provided with a portion that co-operates with said stand pipe to hold said bearing member against rotary movement, and a non-circular-shaped portion on said actuator that passes through a non-circularshaped hole in said bearing member.

KNUT ALFRED READ. 

